Links
by Mysterious Prophetess
Summary: Galra!Keith, Alien!Keith, Altean!Keith Drabbles looking into an alternate universe of a family like many others, and yet unlike any other.
1. A Family of Four

Lotor was impatient. His Daddy was off saving the universe and that was important. Mommy was moving slower because she was still carrying his baby brother or sister in her tummy. It was still pretty silly though. A baby in a tummy. Though, with as big and round as it was now, he could almost believe it. With Mommy so big and Daddy so busy, there was no one to take him flying. The four year old was dying from boredom.

"Lotor?" He sat up. It was Daddy! He raced across the main living space and clung to his Daddy's side. The Black Paladin looked down at the white-haired head fondly before he ruffled it up with a clawed hand, carefully.

"Where's your Mother?" he said. Lotor pointed to the room that was "off limits" while Mommy said so.

"She wasn't feeling good so she went to lay down," Lotor said. "Can we go flying now?"

"After I check on your mother," he said. Lotor huffed. "Keep that up, and no flying." Lotor stiffened and nodded before he was suddenly picked up and tossed in the air gently causing the half-Galran to squeal happily. After he'd been caught, Lotor was placed on his Daddy's shoulders. His Daddy Zarkon was the greatest ever!

* * *

Zarkon opened the door to their bedroom to reveal his wife, Kiara laying on her side, a hand on her swollen stomach.

"How are you, love?" he said as he brushed some of her white hair out of her face.

"Your child is kicking up a storm in there," she said grabbing the outstretched hand and placing it on the bump. Zarkon smiled when he felt a distinct kick against his palm.

"Almost as feisty as this one was," Zarkon said before he reached up and tickled Lotor's side, "We're going for a brief flight. Will you be ok?"

"Of course," Kiara said, "Behave for your Father, Lotor."

"Of course, Mommy!" Lotor said.

"Now get down here and give me a hug bye," she said. Zarkon carefully pulled the cub from his shoulders and set him on the bed next to Kiara. He hugged her around her neck.

"Baby, be nice to Mommy," he said patting her belly. He received a kick in response.

"They've already got your temperament," Kiara said dryly to the Black Paladin. He shrugged before he kissed her on the cheek.

"Come, let's let her rest while we go out for a flight around the moon," Zarkon said.

"Yay!" Lotor said.

* * *

 **MP** : This is not connected to Lab Rat beyond the fact I gave Keith the same Galra name.

Though, Twyla will exist in a different form within the timeline for these one shots.  
This will not have the same schedule as Lab Rat.

For the most part, the storyline will be fairly linear.


	2. New Cubs Are No Fun

Lotor was not a fan of his baby brother, Kioreth. He was small, squishy, and fuzzy like Aunty Twyla. Aunty Twyla, who couldn't cook, had moved in with them to help Mommy with the new baby. All Kioreth did was scream, sleep, and poop.

"Why'd you have to have another cub?" Lotor asked Daddy about two months after Kioreth arrived.

"We still love you, Lotor. We just wanted to give you your own little brother to look after like I've looked after your Aunty Twyla and Mommy looked after Uncle Kiaran," Daddy said.

"But he's too little to do anything! And he's squishy! And fuzzy!" Lotor said.

"You were too little to do anything whenever you were his age and just as squishy," Daddy said poking the cub in the side making him giggle.

"Why is he fuzzy and I'm not?" Lotor said.

"It's like how Aunty Twyla has large ears like a sphyrx and I don't," he said, "Every cub is different."

"Is that why you wanted another one?" Lotor said.

"Not exactly," Daddy said with a laugh.

"It's your turn with the little one." Mommy entered the room with the bundle that was Kioreth.

"I didn't ask for him," Lotor said.

* * *

After she and Zarkon had stopped laughing at that comment, Kiara gently placed Kioreth in Zarkon's arms before she scooped her elder son up and kissed his head.

"Now you have to spend time with me, and let Daddy bond with Kioreth before he and the others go on their next patrol," Kiara said as she settled Lotor on her hip.

"Ok," Lotor said. Whenever they left the room Zarkon was left alone with his youngest and that prospect was terrifying. There had been a major threat to the galaxy whenever Lotor was an infant, so he had missed out on most of his first born's infant stage. Kioreth fit in his hands easily. The cub's little yellow eyes were half open and sleepily looking up at him. If he didn't know the cub was half-Altean, he'd swear Kioreth was a pure Galra. A tiny clawed hand weakly reached for his face and Zarkon carefully shifted the bundle so he could hold a clawed finger for the tiny hand to try to grip. The grip was strong for a two-month-old. He would do anything to make sure the universe was safe for both his sons.

Voltron would be key to that.

* * *

 **MP:** "I didn't ask for him" came from a story my Bestie told me about herself and her baby sister.

A Sphyrx is a cat like creature native to the Galra homeworld.

And here's Twyla, like I promised. She's Zarkon's baby sister in this universe.


	3. First Steps

Kioreth had grown fast. Then the cub had started crawling. Lotor could barely keep up with the baby sometimes and he was a big boy. Mommy always smiled whenever he tried to get Kioreth to follow rules, but the cub was more interested in chewing on his toes half the time than playing space ships. Lotor could get Kioreth to follow him, though. He ran across the living space and he could hear the frantic patter-shuffle-patter sound Kioreth made while crawling. He felt a tug on his pants. Kioreth had caught him and smiling up at him with his tiny fanged grin. Half his teeth were in, milk teeth his Aunty Twyla called them. The tugging got stronger as Kioreth pulled himself onto his feet. It wasn't the first time the cub had done this, but he was doing it more often.

"Mommy! He's standing!" Lotor said.

"He is?" Mommy walked over and Kioreth looked up at her and reached for her. He stumbled and fell onto his knees and he was confused. He used Lotor's leg to stand up again and this time fell on his butt. The cub began to sniffle a little before he seemed to get mad.

* * *

Zarkon, after a month of patrol, arrived to the scene of Kioreth stubbornly trying to get to Kiara by walking. He wobbly took a step and then another and he stumbled into Kiara's leg. His smile was so large. Zarkon reached down and ruffled Lotor's hair, much to the five-and-a-half-year-old's displeasure.

"Daddy, look!"

"I see," Zarkon said. Kioreth looked over at Zarkon and with a determined look on his little face he started to take steps towards him with his little arms out for balance. He fell but he pushed himself back up and kept toddling across the room. Two more falls later and the cub had made it and held his hands up wordlessly wanting up. Zarkon picked up the tiny cub and he was made to look even tinier in the large warriors' arms.

"Me too! Me too!" Lotor said. Zarkon shifted Kioreth so he could pick up Lotor one armed and settled him against his side. Kioreth batted at Lotor's hair, which made the five-and-a-half-year-old gently flick the 18 month old's nose earning an angry squawk.

"You did start it," Zarkon said looking down at Kioreth who reached for the hair again only to get another flick. The cub growled and bared his baby fangs which made Lotor stick his tongue out. A laugh shocked the two little ones and it was Kiara approaching them. She grabbed Lotor out of his father's arms with surprising strength. Well it would be surprising to anyone who didn't know the small (for an Altean) woman.

"Alright, let's end this now," she said ruffling Lotor's hair with her free hand after he was settled on her hip. The tinier cub looked up at Zarkon's face with wide eyes and reached for his face. Instead, Zarkon picked up one of the many baby toys strewn throughout the apartment and shook it in from of Kioreth's face. The tiny clawed hands grabbed the toy and promptly began to chew on it. Kiara's smile grew bigger. This was a perfect moment.


	4. Insurrection

There was unrest stirring on both the Galran Home world of Drule and on Altea. Xenophobia was on the rise. No matter how pro-Alien a vast majority of the planet was, the zealous minority were on the rise and gaining more notoriety. It had started as a normal afternoon for Kiara. She'd seen her six-year-old son, Lotor, to his private school not far from her brother's house just beyond the Castle of Lions, Kioreth had been given his breakfast and her little son was cleaned and ready to go with her to the market. Zarkon and the other paladins of Voltron had been gone longer than usual, but whenever the universe was facing strife, the Guardians of the Universe were needed more than ever. Kioreth trotted next to her looking at everything with curiosity but not saying much. Unlike Lotor who had been babbling even before he could speak, Kiroeth wasn't big on noise.

"What a disgusting display." Kiara turned her head towards the one who'd said it. It was an older Altean male flanked by two others who looked a bit rough.

"What about me is disgusting, sir?" Kiara asked with venom in her tone.

"You parade that spawn around as if it is something to be proud of. A proper Altean man not good enough for you, whore?" he said.

"If you see any, be sure to let me know," Kiara said as she picked Kiroeth up and placed him on her hip.

"You bitch!" the man tried to hit her, only to have her catch his fist.

"I might be a mother now, but I was an Altean Pilot first," she said before she threw him backwards into his cronies. The hate filled their eyes and she turned to a vendor and quickly handed them her child.

"Please take care of him," she said quickly as she ducked another blow. The shop keeper blinked before they adjusted their grip on the two-year-old.

"Someone call the city guard!"

Kiara never left home unarmed at Zarkon's insistence. So, she drew the dagger he'd always made her carry. It had his personal symbol on the hilt, letting anyone who knew what that meant know she was Zarkon's chosen mate.

"A Galra blade?"

"Quiznak! That's the symbol of the Black Paladin!" one of the cronies said.

"It doesn't matter who the calrutizna slept with!" the leader said as he pulled out his own blade.

"That's enough!" The City Guard had arrived. Kiara stood down, but the hood did not and before anyone could stop him, he had stabbed her multiple times. The Shop Keeper covered Kioreth's eyes as the city guard took the man down alive, but it was too late for Kiara. "G-Get th-this t-to m-my husband," she said holding up the dagger.

"Let me through! KIARA!" Twyla, known as the Blue Paladin of Voltron arrived on the scene. She knelt next to Kiara."No! You have to hold on. You can't leave now!"

"I'm sorry, sister," Kiara said. Twyla locked eyes with the smug attacker as he was being processed.

"YOU! I CHARGE YOU WITH MURDER AND CLAIM THE RIGHT TO TRY YOU BY THE BLADE!" Twyla growled.

"This is Altea, Galra trash! Go home!" he said.

"Actually, she is within her rights to ask for this, but someone else will be fighting you." Everyone bowed as the Yellow Paladin, King Alfor, arrived with the other Paladins of Voltron which included Zarkon who was kneeling over his dead wife's corpse utterly shattered. He stood, dagger in hand, vibrating with rage.

The murderer had the decency to at least be terrified of facing the legendary Black Paladin. The Red Paladin also seemed to want to charge since it was his sister. Instead He walked over to the vendor holding Kioreth and motioned for the cub. The cub saw his mother and scented the blood, which set him off into wails of sadness. Zarkon looked back at his sobbing son and his rage doubled. He grabbed the scum and practically dragged him behind him as the guard led them to a suitable area for the Galran form of justice.

* * *

There was an old arena no one used anymore in a run down part of town. Zarkon tossed the murderer forward and Twyla threw a blade dangerously close to his face.

"Pick it up, and maybe you'll live." She sneered. She placed a hand on Zarkon's shoulder and said in Galran " **No Mercy**."

" **Wasn't planning on it**." Zarkon replied.

" **Good**." she said before she joined the others.

Kiaran was abstained from viewing this. Kioreth did not need to see it and he needed to go get Lotor from school.

* * *

By the time Zarkon was through with the murderer, "hamburger" would have been a generous descriptor for him.

* * *

 **MP:** *ducks* Don't hurt me. I had to turn him to the dark side!

As for that word the murdering SOB called Kiara, there are some words best left OUT of people's vocabularies. This is one of them.


	5. Should Have Seen It Coming

Thinking back, as her lion hurtled through space, Twyla should have known that the sheer insane violence from the day Kiara was murdered should have been a sign. Zarkon had grown colder and more brutal after his wife died. He only thawed for his two sons, but he was away so much, he didn't even see his sons but once every two weeks. Lotor had become a more surly child after his mother died, and Kioreth was quieter than ever.

 _Flashback._

 _Twyla returned from a patrol of the Western Quadrant whenever Kiaran entered the Castle of Lions with a crying Kioreth in his arms. The half-Galran cub was trying to get out of his arms. Twyla took him before he wiggled himself onto his face._

 _"What's wrong?" she asked as she tried to console the toddler._

 _"It's your brother. He's betrayed us all!" Kiaran said._

 _"What? How?" Twyla said. Kiaran walked over to a terminal and pulled up a data stream. Twyla let out a gasp. There was her brother leading the Galra Supremacists as they took over Drule's capitol city._

 _"People of Drule, we have tried to make this universe better but it is sick. The only solution is that the Galra must fix this. In order to do that, we will need take control and make everything that is not Galra like us. We are the best hope this galaxy has. No, that this **universe** has. Join me in purifying this putrid cosmos to make a better future for all!"_

 _His eyes were…wrong. Glowing purple. His face was colder than she'd ever seen it. Even on the day his wife had been murdered. Twyla blinked back a few tears. She trusted him!_

 _"Why do you have Kioreth?" She asked._

 _"I couldn't find Lotor and I can't be sure how this new Zarkon will act towards these half-Altean children. Our brother is gone, but we can save an innocent," Kiaran said._

 _"I want to try to reason with him, just once," Twyla said._

 _"Leave Kioreth here," Kiaran said, "I need to know at least one nephew is safe."_

 _"Very well," Twyla said._

 _End Flashback_

She arrived on Zarkon's new flag-ship as many Galra soldiers and battle droids saluted her. She was escorted into the bowels of the ship by toadies to her brother sitting on a throne like chair as if he were the King of all Galra. Oh. Wait, he was now.

"I'm so glad you've joined me, sister," he said standing.

"What have you done?" Twyla said, "I trusted you to come to me if you were in pain, or grieving! I trusted you not to let your grief rule you! I TRUSTED YOU!" The Black Paladin stared at her.

"It is for the good of everyone, can't you see that?" he said.

"No. I can't. I can't see past the fact you allied with those extremists who would happily murder your sons to purify the Garla race. You've joined with **them** , how can I be sure I can trust you?" Twyla said, "I'm the Blue Paladin. Trust is my Quintessence, and this had broken mine in you. Please, stop this before it's too late!"

"Where is my other son, Twyla?" Zarkon said. Twyla sniffed. The scent destroyer Kiaran had sprayed her with had done it's trick of removing all traces of Kioreth from her.

"I came here to speak to you. Not to hold one of my nephews hostage," Twyla snarled, "Which one are you missing?"

"You know very well which one, Twyla," Zarkon said approaching her.

"He's where you won't touch him, Traitor." Twyla and Zarkon turned to see Kiaran arrive with a traditional Altean sword in hand. His bayard missing.

"Twyla, what is the meaning of this!" Zarkon said.

"I have nothing to do with this," Twyla said gesturing at Kiaran, "Kiaran, what are you doing?"

"Zarkon, you have declared War against Altea and have violated your oaths as a Paladin of Voltron. As Red Paladin, I hereby demand to try you by the blade!" Kiaran said.

"Are you suicidal?" Twyla said.

"Maybe a little but you need to get out of here, Blue Paladin," Kiaran said, "NOW!" Twyla nodded before she spotted something by the throne. She dashed and got it before she activated her life support in her armor and made a hole in the guards with her bayard that became a sword. She made it to blue in time to hear Yellow and Green roar. She looked to see they were towing the Black Lion between them and vanishing into a wormhole. Kiaran was a distraction to steal the Black Lion from Zarkon! Twyla followed them through the wormhole.

Once on the Castle, she stormed out of her lion and right up to her fellow paladins.

"You let him sacrifice himself for this!" Twyla snarled at King Alfor.

"He volunteered," Alfor said. Twyla pulled her bayard off and handed it to him.

"Find a new Blue Paladin! This one is fresh out of trust for anyone," she said flatly.

"You need to hide your lion," Alfor said.

"You do it. I have a nephew to keep alive!" Twyla said.

"I know you feel you have been betrayed by Zarkon, and you were. Keep in mind, so were the rest of us," King Alfor said.

"There is something wrong with my brother. His eyes are not the proper color for a Galra. He cannot be trusted around Kioreth," Twyla said.

"I have a plan, but you will not like-," King Alfor said.

"You have five ticks, go."


	6. Saying Goodbye

Chapter Text

Twyla carefully placed her nephew into the cryo-tube tucking the dagger next to him. He had been given a sedative to keep him asleep throughout this process.

 _Flashback_

 _"He'll be alright in there for all that time?" Twyla asked,_

 _"Yes. If we cannot push the Galra troops back, I have this very fallback plan for my Allura," King Alfor said._

 _"Except you're not jettisoning her pod off into space with naught but a prayer," Twyla said._

 _"It's for the best. Your lion will be going with him," King Alfor said._

 _"I should be going too," Twyla said, "But I'd be too big a target. I cannot help you with your war. I cannot fight my brother."_

 _"What will you do?" King Alfor said._

 _End Flashback_

Twyla kissed Kioreth's forehead.

"Be safe, little cub, and one day this war will be over and you'll be able to grow up big and strong like your aunty," she said. The tube sealed and the counter was set for around 10,000 years. She'd laughed at that length of time before, but now she liked the insurance that Kioreth didn't have the chance of possibly waking up to his father's war. She looked to her own pod.

"This pod will be sealed into a deeper part of this castle?" Twyla said.

"Yes. We cannot have their druids capturing you and using your connection to the Blue lion to find the others," King Alfor said.

"Where's Grae?" Twyla asked. The Green Paladin had been strangely absent.

"She went back to her Balmera. She planned on giving all her life-force to it," King Alfor said, "She has likely already done it by now." The two had a moment of silence pass in honor of the Green Paladin.

"Try not to die on me, Alfor," Twyla said before she entered her cyropod. This one was sealed and set for 20,000 years. The last thing Twyla saw was Blue gently picking up Kioreth's pod. He would be safe.

* * *

The Blue Lion felt the connection she had with her paladin finally snap as her Quintessence changed. Perhaps someday she would bond with another but for now she had to get this cub to safety as one last favor to her former pilot.

The problem of bonding with a being whose very nature was like water was, one day, the water would completely change course

* * *

Alfor sealed the chamber containing the former Blue Paladin shut. Now he and Zarkon were all that remained of the Paladins of Voltron. He couldn't dwell on what he'd lost. He had a home world and a daughter to think about.

* * *

 **MP** :This will be the last time Twyla is in this fic.


	7. Child in the Desert

Akira and Su-jin loved exploring the desert around their home. It was large, and easy to get lost in if one didn't have a hover bike and GPS to find their way home. It was ultimately silent. After years of being a reporter and photographer pair in often dangerous situations, their small house in the middle of no-where was perfect. Akira was the reporter and Su-jin was his daring photographer. She'd once tied a rope around one of her ankles and dangled off a cliff just to get the perfect shot. She had her pulitzer framed next to his, which he'd won for an expose on a corrupt businessman who'd crafted this philanthropic image that was really a sham to cover up his real agenda.

It may not have been love at first sight, but they met at her Pulitzer award ceremony and hit it off as partners. Before either knew it, while in the field covering a warlord, they were married before a local priestess. They later made it legal with a justice of the peace the moment they returned home.

"Alright, that cave looks like a good spot for a picnic!" Akira said as he slowed the bike to a stop. Su-jin hopped off with a stretch. She immediately pulled out her camera and snapped a picture of how the desert looked around them. She aimed her lens at the cave and gasped.

"Honey?" Akira said. Su-jin waved a hand at him in a silent "shush" gesture; she carefully walked forwards.

"It's ok, we won't hurt you," she said. That's when Akira saw the small shadowy form hiding in the mouth of the cave. Make that the vaguely human shaped form. The size suggested a child of three or four at the oldest. Akira dismounted the bike silently and the little form backed up into the darkness, losing a distinct shape. He thought about it before he rummaged through his side bags and pulled out,

"Do you really think they'll come out to beef jerky?"

"DAGH!" was the best way to describe that sound.

"Sorry," Su-jin said reaching into the bag and pulling out a strip of meat and holding it out. The darkness shifted as the child came out from the shadows and into the demi-light.

It took everything Su-jin had not to react to the glowing yellow eyes, feline ears on the head, and tiny fangs slightly exposed. The child darted forwards faster than Su-jin expected and snatched the jerky from her and was snacking on the meat, the eyes were fixed firmly on Su-jin at all times from within the shadows of the cave mouth. Akira had sidled up behind her and was holding out a second jerky strip. The child darted forwards, this time more slowly into the light revealing not only did this kid have cat ears, fangs, and fluffy hair, but that there was also fur on the child's body in addition to the hair. Both the hair and the fur were different shades of violet. It was also easy to tell that this little purple child was a little boy. He was also unbelievably adorable. It didn't matter he was a little alien baby, Su-jin instantly fell in love.

* * *

Kioreth didn't know what to think about these strange a-li-ens. They didn't smell like Daddy, or Mama, or Uncle Kir, or Aunt Wy-la, or Lotor. They were nice. The food thing they gave him was nice. Sort of like yelta. He was scared, but the big blue Phryx bot had sent him nice feelings before he left the pod Aunt Wy-la put him in. He had no idea what they were saying. It was like when he would go to the Food-Place with Uncle Kir, and the a-li-ens were all over the place. They offered him more and he walked this time and slowly took the food and paused before eating.

"Thank you." he said. The one that looked like Aunt Wy-la had smiled at him like Uncle Kir would and said something. They were weird, but until Aunt Wy-la, Daddy, or Uncle Kir came, he could trust them.

* * *

 **MP** : The reason I made Akira Japanese and Su-jin Korean was to acknowledge Go-Lion and the Korean Keith HC. I even named Akira after Keith's 80's Japanese counterpart.


	8. Names of Things

"Su-jin."

"Shu-cheen."

"Very good. Su-jin."

"Ki-eth."

"Akira."

"Ak-i-wa."

"Su-jin."

"Shoo-cheen."

"Ki-eth."

"No. Ki-o-eth."

"He said "No."" Akira said. It had taken half a day to coax the alien child out of the cave onto the hover bike. Now there they were in the house and the child would let them touch him to a degree and feed him, but beyond helping him up or down the child kept his distance. Now there was some communication after nearly two weeks of cohabitation with the alien.

"Ki-o-eth?" Su-Jin said.

"Ki-o-weth," the alien said with more emphasis on the last syllable and they heard the mispronounced "r" this time.

"Kioreth?" Akira said.

"Yes. Ki-o-weth!"

"He said yes!"

"Akiwa," Kioreth said with a smile.

"Human," Akira said gesturing at Su-jin and himself. Kioreth blinked.

"Hu-man?"

"Akira. Human. Kioreth?" The little boy blinked again before he got it.

"Gaw-wa al-tay-wan." Kioreth said.

"Gawa?"

"Ga-wa," Kiroeth.

"Gar-ra?" Su-jin said.

"Gal-wa," Kioreth managed to say.

"Galra," Akira, "Altay-an? Galra Altay-an?"

"Gal-wa kno Al-tay-wan," Kioreth said.

"Kno?"

"Shoo-cheen kno Akiwa," Kioreth said.

"Su-jin and Akira," Akira said.

"Gal-wa an' Al-tay-wan," Kioreth said. That's when both humans understood. This little alien was a cross of two alien races. One called "Galra" and one called "Altay-an." They now had a name for what he was, even if that was more complicated than they'd originally thought.

* * *

 **MP** : It's short and fluffy, much like Keith is at the moment in this fic :D

This finally catches Links on this site up to its AO3 counterpart. Next update: July.

I try to make sure I cross post, but sometimes fics fall through the cracks, though most of the rest of my pre-2016 work on here will not be cross-posted.

On another note, this fic will only be 12 chapters long, with all the events of this fic being pre-series. A second fic for events to take place within the _Voltron: Legendary Defender_ story line is planned.

Thanks for reading! See you in July!


	9. Children of Two Suns

Summary:

Akira, Su-jin, and Kioreth have fallen into a comfortable rhythm nearly half a year later. As time moves forward, an communication gets easier, the humans learn a bit more about the little alien's past.

In deep space, the past is alive and well

* * *

 _Half year later_

"Ki'eth, dinner!" There were footsteps and the little purple blur appeared in the small kitchen.

"Thank you, Su-jin," he said. His language acquisition was astonishingly fast for the humans, but it was probably more out of adaptation. He'd also accepted the nickname of "Ki'eth" for "Kioreth." Akira arrived from outside.

"Did I hear dinner?"

"Akira!"

"Ki'eth!" Akira ruffling the fluffy hair between Kioreth's ears before kissing Su-jin on her cheek and washing his hands. He picked up Kioreth and the child washed his hands too. After dinner, Akira worked on teaching Kioreth how to read and some writing. He would scribble a couple alien squiggles some times but they were the same ones.

"Are those "Kioreth?"" Akira asked. Kiroeth nodded. After teaching Kioreth a few more simple letters, Su-jin stepped in to give him a bath and get him ready for bed.

The next day Akira made a run to town and came back with crayons. Kioreth happily pounced on them and some paper and began drawing. One big purple stick figure took up more space than two much smaller purple stick figures and then a brown stick figure next to another purple one. The big purple one had black clothes scribbled over the body, the brown one red, the other larger purple one blue while the two littlest purple ones wore gray. Much like he had when Akira and Su-jin had found him. He gave his stick figure cat ears and purple hair like the blue one, and grabbed a white crayon and tried to give the second smallest one white hair and the brown one too. He paused before he grabbed the purple crayon and drew around the hair's edges for each one to show it was white hair in only the way a child could.

"Very nice Kioreth! Who are they?" Su-jin said sitting next to him.

"Daddy. That's Lotow, that's me, thats Uncle Kir-wan, and that's Aunt Wy-la," Kioreth said pointing to each stick figure.

"Why do you and you aunt have ears like that?" Akira said. Kioreth shrugged.

"Are the purple ones Galra or Altay-ans?" Su-jin said.

"Gal-rrra," Kioreth said fighting to say the "r" sound.

"So your Uncle is Altay-an?" Su-jin said. Kioreth nodded.

"Where's your Mommy?" Akira said.

"Uncle Kir-wan said she had to go be a star, she didn't want to leave but she had to," Kioreth said. The adults exchanged a look over top Kioreth's head.

"Is Lotor your older brother?" Akira said. He'd gone out on a limb about the name. The little boy didn't correct him but nodded.

"Where is he?" Kioreth shrugged.

* * *

 **Deep Space,**

Lotor peered out into space from the nearest viewing screen. He had been out of cyro for a few cycles now. He hated sleeping centuries away, but until the Druids perfected lengthening his life like they had his father's, it was the only way to preserve him. He had no idea why he thought of his dead brother out of the blue. His generals caught him up to speed and it was as he expected. One day it would all be his but until the blasted druids got his immortality just right, Zarkon would live a while longer. On that day, he would claim what is his. He wondered if the brother he'd lost all those millennia ago would have sided with him, or would have been a threat to his ascendancy. No matter: it accomplished nothing to dwell on the dead.

* * *

MP: It's update time!

Those who wanted Lotor back, well be careful what you wish for...


	10. Look Like Me

Summary:

On the planet Earth, a little Alien shows he has a particular trick that might just put his guardians' minds at ease.

* * *

Kioreth was four whenever Su-jin and Akira discovered the boy's shape-shifting powers. Akira had been playing with him. Kioreth was having trouble understanding an Earthling children's game, Simon Says.

"What did you play with your other family?" Akira asked whenever it was clear that Kioreth wasn't going to comply with playing Simon-Says all that easily.

"Look Like Me," Kioreth said, "Uncle Kir-an would play with me and Lotor."

"How do you play it?" Kioreth touched Akira's hand and before his eyes, the alien child changed and looked just like a regular human four year old. Kioreth's smile was wide and toothy revealing his fangs were gone too. Su-jin had a hand over her mouth. He looked at her and his features changed a little and if they didn't know better, the form Kioreth now had could have been their own child.

"You could do this the whole time?" Akira said. Kioreth nodded.

"Altae-ans like Uncle Kir-an change faces like me," Kioreth said.

"How long can you hold this Ki'eth?" Su-jin asked. Kioreth shrugged.

"You know the town I go to? If you were to play "Look Like Me" the whole time, you can pick out a treat while we're there," Akira said.

"Really?" Kioreth was excited and slipped back into his true form. He quickly shifted back to his human shift with a sheepish grin.

— — — — — — — — —

Many trips into town later…

Kioreth didn't like being human. He felt colder without his fur, he couldn't hear things good, and couldn't see things as good either. Then there was the fact he was defenseless. No claw, no fangs. Akira did let him bring his dagger with him, but made him wrap the hilt to cover the symbol.

"Most Earthlings aren't like Su-jin or me. They will hurt aliens if they find one. There are people who would take you and cut you up. You have to look like us whenever you're not in the house with us."

Kioreth didn't want to be cut up. So he did his best to keep up "Look Like Me" as long as he could. His longest record was nearly a day.

He still hoped Daddy or Aunt Wy-la would come to get him, but Earth seemed like it was way far away. He hoped if they did come, they would be proud of him.

— — — — — — — —

Akira noticed Kioreth's habits with trying to fight with the dagger.

"Would you like to learn what I do?" Akira said. Kioreth's eyes lit up. He took a look at the little purple boy and nodded.

"Alright, we're going to be outside so-."

"Look Like You!" Kioreth said as he shifted. Akira ruffled his hair and Kioreth batted his hand away. The hair was getting really, really shaggy.

— — —- — — —

After showing Kioreth the basics, he knelt in front of the boy.

"Would you like Su-jin to cut your hair?" he asked. Kioreth nodded. Su-jin came out with a chair, a towel and some scissors.

"How would you like your hair?" she asked. Kioreth beamed,

"Like Akira!"

* * *

 **MP** :

None of my Voltron Fics are dead. Just...on extended Hiatus. I have Lab Rat: Reconcilation outlined but for some reason I'm having trouble writing it. This one, I'll just straight up admit to forgetting about in the shuffle of my other fics as well as school resuming.

Also, now we have a mullet origin story because Akira has one!  
Yeah, I know it's not really a mullet but I've been describing it as one for a while.


	11. Keith

Chapter 11: Keith

 _Summary: Family Feuds are ended, and relationships are mended._

* * *

Akira and Kioreth were in town with their matching mullets earning the usual "that's so cute" comments from the same old ladies whenever he saw his sister. Keiko Kogane-Shirogane with her Retired-Garrison Pilot Husband and their son, Takashi aka Shiro. There had been a falling out whenever Akira married Su-jin because Su-jin and Haru, Keiko's husband, were bitter rivals in the photographic world; it was a nasty feud. Akira refused to take his sister's husband's side. The result was a nephew he barely knew.

"How long have you and Su-Jin been here?" Keiko said.

"Three years now," Akira said.

"And how old are you?" Keiko said in a kind tone to Kioreth. Kioreth held up four fingers.

"What's his name?" it was Shiro who said it.

"Ki'eth," Kioreth said.

"Keith?" Keiko said.

"Yes. Keith," Akira said. Kioreth wanted to protest but kept quiet.

"Shiro, why don't you take Keith over to the Gas Station and get yourselves some slurpees," Keiko said handing Shiro some money. Akira saw how hopeful his nephew looked and nodded before kneeling next to Kioreth.

"Keep with him, ok Keith?" the little boy nodded. The kids ran off as Akira straightened up.

"When did you adopt him?" Keiko asked.

"Nearly two years ago. He'll be five in three months," Akira said.

"He looks like her," Haru said.

"He's related to her….on her father's side," Akira said. It had been the story he and Su-jin had concocted once they knew they were keeping Kioreth and that he could shift into human form. Su-jin's father was from North Korea. He'd escaped because his mother had placed him in a truck of a trusted smuggler to get him to her cousins in Seoul.

They'd called in a few favors Su-jin's uncle had to make the papers legitimate and so, if anyone asked, the child they were raising had been born Kyŏng-su Choi. American adopted name, Keith Kogane. This name hadn't been used until that very moment.

Akira looked across the road to see Shiro sitting next to Kioreth on the curb and they were happily sucking down their slurpees.

"Akira. I was wrong." He snapped his head back to his sister.

"Come again?"

"I was wrong to let something stupid like a photography rivalry get between us," Keiko said. She smacked Haru.

"I apologize for everything," Haru said.

"It's not me you need to apologize to," Akira said staring his brother-in-law down. Haru looked off to the side, but Keiko smacked him.

"I'll try, for their sakes," he said. Akira followed Haru's line of sight and he nodded. The kids were having a great time. Kioreth was actually having fun while playing game Shiro was patiently showing him how.

"For their sakes. I'm going to have to make more trips to town now that they're glued to the hip," Akira said.

"Once the little one started school you'd have had to make more trips," Keiko said. School. Now that was something he was dreading with his little alien. All those stimuli that could make him lose his game of "Look Like Me." At least they had a year before they had to send him to school. It could and would be worked on. Kioreth's life depended on it.

"Is Shiro planning on going to the Garrison?" Akira said.

"He has always dreamed of flying like I did when I was younger," Haru said.

"I have a feeling, Keith will follow him," Akira said, as he watched the smaller boy shadowing his cousin.

* * *

 **MP** : This is officially the next-to-last chapter of this part of _Links_. As a series this whole work will end with Chapter 12. A new fic will be started sometime in the future. I have ideas but I don't like what I have written so I will be scrapping that so I can try to make this universe work. Also, I don't have Netflix, meaning, I've not seen S4. Not yet, anyway, so keep any spoilers to yourselves if you would.

The North Korea backstory was actually something my bestie came up with for a Korean!Keith HC (way before Galra!Keith was ever confirmed as canon). I asked her for her permission to use it, slightly altered, for this AU. She granted it.

As for Keith and Shiro being cousins. Well, if I couldn't make them Bro-Ganes, I decided do the next best thing.

Keep in mind, **I don't do ships in Voltron**.


	12. Life Reformatted

_**Summary:**_

 _"The end of a melody is not its goal: but nonetheless, had the melody not reached its end it would not have reached its goal either. A parable."_

 _― Friedrich Nietzsche_

* * *

The accident was unexpected, but that is why they are called "accidents."

The driver that had plowed into their car, which they had used for once, had a BAC _**two and half times**_ the legal limit.

Aunt Su-jin and Uncle Akira were dead on impact. It wasn't looking like Shiro's seven-year-old cousin Keith was going to make it either. He'd suffered a head injury. Surprisingly very little blood was lost but he had yet to regain consciousness. His Mom and Dad were arranging Aunt and Uncle's funerals on the phone with the crematoria.

Shiro had been left at the hospital with a cell phone to call them with any updates to Keith's condition. That's where he found himself, nearly being driven mad by all the beeping.

Keith's eyes snapped open and Shiro could have sworn they flashed yellow, but he blinked and they were normal. Must have been a trick of the light. Keith was babbling in a mix of Japanese and Korean, making it hard for Shiro to understand anything. Keith looked at him and the blank look sent shivers down Shiro's spine. A nurse came in with a doctor and he was shuffled out into the hall for what felt like forever.

"Where are your parents?" a doctor asked.

"Making arrangements for my Aunt and Uncle," Shiro said. The doctor sighed.

"What's wrong?" Shiro asked.

"Your cousin has retrograde amnesia. He cannot remember anything before today," the doctor said, "He may regain his memories in time…."

Shiro tuned out everything else. Keith had lost his whole _life_ because of that drunk. That drunk who was alive with only a few scrapes and bruises in a holding cell in the county jail. ****_It wasn't fair_** _!_**

* * *

Keith knew he had forgotten more than _just_ his parents. There was something _else_ he lost too. Something that hurt even more than having just nothing before the day he saw his cousin standing next to his bed.

Shiro had been the best about the whole thing. His Aunt Keiko and Uncle Haru had treated him like he would shatter. He wasn't a baby! He had a dagger that Shiro said he carried with him everywhere he could.

Now it was the only memento he really had about his parents and his life before that day.

It made him so mad!

It also pissed him off when the people in town looked at him with that _look_. He helped his Aunt Keiko pack up the small house in the desert and found some frankly weird stick figure art he tossed into a box with other things to be put into the cellar under the house. The loft where they had slept was barren and soon, the small house was as lifeless as the urns they buried behind it.

Shiro placed a hand on Keith's shoulder in silence. He followed Shiro wordlessly into his Aunt Keiko's car and they left his little home behind.

* * *

 _Many years Later..._

 _ **"All aboard were lost."**_

Keith had been in the mess hall whenever the news his cousin and crew were lost over Kerberos. Pilot error? Were they kidding him! Shiro was the best there was and there was no way it was pilot error. Keith didn't even remember storming into the commandant's office.

"What are you covering up!" Keith snarled at the commandant, "Shiro was too good a pilot for that bullshit!"

" ** _Language_** cadet, and I'd watch your tone."

"Tell the truth!" Keith yelled.

"Stand down, Kogane or you will be expelled on the spot for this blatant insubordination!"

"Expel ** _this_**!" Keith stormed out of the office.

He had his dorm packed up within the hour.

* * *

 **MP** : This is the end of part one of _Links._  
I'm pretty sure you all knew how this was going to end...  
What's up next? Well, I have a SHIT ton of school work to get through for this semester but should all go well, I'll probably not be on THIS side of the podium again.

Before the next part of _Links_ can even be written I have to finish my other major Voltron fic series: _Lab Rat_ more specifically the FINAL part of it _Reconciliation_.  
I have it outlined. I really, truly do. I just can't make myself write it, for some reason or other.  
Then I have other stuff to get done, but after that I'll make another fic like this one for the _Links_ series.


End file.
